Eon
by IncoherentMumbling
Summary: The next age of Stars Hollow asylum-escapees and Hartford aristocracy. The new epoch of heart break and suppressed love. The eon of Conneticut's next generation. Just as crazy but with more characters to love.
1. The Successors

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the characters that were unfortunate enough emerge from the chaotic vestiges of my formerly intact mind.

Rated K+ for mild language.

**New story. New characters. Old faces. Strange concept. What more could want? Well... I mean, something interest to read, of course. And I'm working on that... I promise. **

**A review would be much appreciated, even if it's to bash my writing skills against a metaphoric wall (mercy would be nice).**

**_Uh... "--- _x_ ---" means that some time has passed. Make up your own time if you really have to. Probably about ten or twenty minutes._**

* * *

**Eon.**

_The Successors.  
_

I'm supposed to be happy. I'm sixteen and my family is loaded and I can have anything I'll ever need and I'm smart and not a complete eye sore. I should be happy, right?

"Emmaline Jane Bancroft!" my mother, the prestigious Victoria Bancroft, screeched. _I think only the bats heard that, _I thought. "I will not call you down again! You are coming to the banquet and that is final!"

"Why bother, Mother?" I asked, plopping down on the bottom step of the grand staircase. _Ladies don't plop, Emmaline, _I thought, suppressing a wry smirk. "None of your crazy George Washington fanatics like me anyway."

"You're going," she said, handing me a frilly dress. _Gah, _I thought. _Frills._

"Sure, Mom." _I'm not happy._

Twenty Minutes Later in Stars Hollow…

"Emmaline, we're going to discuss this when we get home," my mother pressed as we walked into a certain "Luke's Diner."

"We always do, Mom," I sighed. "Just get to the function. You're already late. I'll stay here until you get back."

"I'm not sure about this, Sebastian." My father, as always, was completely unresponsive. "Emmaline, please listen to reason! This place looks like a trucker stop!"

I dropped my head in my hands. "If a trucker starts harassing me, I promise I'll scream."

"Let's go, Victoria," my father finally said in his monotone, insurance voice.

"This is a breeding ground for whores and pedophiles, Sebastian," I heard my mother say before her voice mercifully faded away.

I looked up to see a teenager in a Hives t-shirt and an apron smirking at me. "You wanna take my order?" I snapped, groaning and collapsing onto a stool at the counter.

--- x ---

"And you know the worst part? They don't even know me. They're so set on molding me into their 'oh so perfect socialite' that they never bothered to learn that my favorite color is red, I hate apples and I can't drink coffee because it reminds me of the time Richie Grey spilled it all over me in the fifth grade." I paused to breath and I looked curiously at Hives boy. "By the way, what's your name?"

He looked at me like I was insane. "I'm Will."

I smiled. "Emma."

"So, Emma. Have you calmed down sufficiently enough to ask you something?"

"Uh... sure, I guess."

"Alright," Will put his pencil down on the counter and said, "Why the hell are you wearing a dress in Luke's Diner? And did you recently escape from a mental asylum? _Where _did you learn to rant like that and how did you acquire such a large lung capacity? How do you not run out of words... or _air_? I've been standing here for ten minutes, waiting for you to order, and all I found out was that you won't be asking for apples or coffee!"

"Mm... pie," I decided with finality.

"What?" he asked, startled.

"I want pie. That's it."

"Just pie?"

"Yup. Don't want a full stomach while my mother's screaming at me."

"Amen to that, sister," someone said from behind me.

"Hey, Mom," Will said, smiling. "I found someone crazy for you to talk to while Rory's away." _Huh. He has a nice smile. _I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.

"Lorelai Danes here," she said, sticking out her hand. I shook it, smiling slightly. "Please entertain me. My daughter's abandoned me for her job and William here is a health nut like his father, so I can't associate with him. You're the only one left."

"She's a ranter, Mom," Will said, wiping off the counter. "She can go a mile a minute and never run out of anything to say. She complained about her hosh-posh parents for ten minutes straight."

Lorelai smiled at me. "We're going to get along well."

--- x ---

"You're _the _Lorelai Gilmore?!" I gasped. "You're a legend amongst the elite Hartford rebel teenagers! Thank you so much." I bowed my head slightly and put my hands together.

"Are you kidding?" Will asked, incredulous. "My mom's a legend for getting knocked up at sixteen?"

"Shut up, Will. I'm talking to my hero."

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed. "Shut up, Will. Besides, I didn't _just _get knocked up at sixteen. I rebelled in a myriad of ways."

"I don't doubt you for a second," Will said, grinning. "So, Emma. You never answered my question. Why're you wearing a pink, poofy dress in Stars Hollow?"

"My parents and I were going to some useless DAR banquet and miraculously, I got out of it at the last minute. My parents dumped me here in this extremely _loud _dress so they wouldn't be late," I replied, grimacing. "Why can't they do something useful? Or maybe get some decent music. I wouldn't mind going if they were blaring the Monkees."

"Ah, the joys of obligations," Lorelai said, patting me on the shoulder. "You'll escape it one day."

"I'm wondering if being kicked out of that world feels any different than escaping," I wondered out loud.

"It doesn't," Lorelai assured me. "As long as it's far behind, it doesn't."

--- x ---

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lorelai Gilmore," my mother replied as she came—well, sauntered— into the diner, half an hour late.

"Danes, actually."

"Lorelai Gilmore?" my dad asked, suddenly gaining interest. "What is a Gilmore doing in Stars Hollow?"

"Danes, _actually_."

"Who knows, Sebastian? I mean, really—"

"Let's go, Mother," I interrupted. I could feel a monologue coming up.

As my father was muttering something about his company's new policy on car insurance, I looked over my shoulder and said, "Bye Lorelai. Bye Will."

They said goodbye and as the door was shutting, I heard Will yell out, "Come back to Stars Hollow one day!"

_Stars Hollow, _I thought. _Huh. Stars Hollow. _

_

* * *

_

**So... what do you think? What do you not think? Is it bad? Is it good? Do you need to read some confusing, political Ayn Rand writing to get this out of your head? **

**A little heads up... the next chapter is going to be set quite a few years later. And if it wasn't _completely _obvious (which it was), Lorelai and Luke got married and had a kid named William. He's the same age as Emma. Forgot to work that in. And I guess Rory would be... 37-39 years old and Lorelai would be that plus sixteen. Yup. Definitely hate math. **


	2. Ocean Breaths Salty

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the five cents in my jeans pocket that's been through the wash about six times because I keep forgetting to take it out.

**So... chapter two. Yup. That's it. Nothing else. **

* * *

Eon. Chapter Two.

_Ocean Breaths Salty._

EIGHT YEARS LATER...

Ocean Breaths Salty by Modest Mouse

_Well that is that and this is this._

_You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get._

_You get away from me. You get away from me._

_Collected my belongings and I left the jail._

_Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell._

_I had to think awhile. I had to think awhile._

I peered out of my car window at the _Stars Hollow _sign and smiled to myself. _It took me eight years but I did it. I came back. _Stars Hollow. I hadn't stepped in Stars Hollow for eight years, ninety-six months, two thousand nine-hundred and twenty days… I knew the first thing I was going to do.

I stepped into Luke's Diner and saw that nothing had changed; I sat at a stool in front of the diner. "This feels good," I murmured. "This feels right, you know?" I said louder to the good looking, tight browed waiter behind the counter.

"No," he barked out. "What'll you have?"

"Mm… pie. Just pie." _I love pie, _I thought, giddy with happiness_._ I was ecstatic and I think the whole world felt it. Or at least the whole diner did.

If possible, his eyebrows moved closer together. "Do I know you?"

"Who knows?" I wondered, grinning. "This is just a great day!"

"I know I'm gonna regret asking."

"Then, I'll just tell you," I said, smiling. "I finally escaped. I did it. I left Hartford. I have my own life, granted one that my parents will probably never be a part of again, but they never really were."

"Terrific," he muttered. "Coffee?"

"Nah, I hate the stuff ever since Richie Grey spilt it all over…" My voice drifted off.

"Emma?"

"Wow, Diner Boy. You remember me?" I asked, surprised. "I'm impressed, Will."

"Well, you know… I, uh—" Will muttered, trying to think of an excuse. "Well, you remember me, too!" he lamely threw back.

"I guess I did!" I started laughing uncontrollably.

"Are you high or something?" he asked, giving me that same she-was-definitely-dropped-on-her-head look he had given me years ago.

"No, I'm not high. I'm just so, extremely hap—"

"Emmaline Bancroft! How dare you!" a voice interrupted me.

"—py," I finished, glumly, spinning around and facing my inane mother.

---

Emma's mother was in the middle of the diner, fuming and screaming at her daughter. I watched from behind the counter with apprehension.

"You just left! You packed and left!" Emma's mother berated. "No goodbye, no thank you!"

"Thank you for what?" Emma asked, her jaw clenching. "For telling me my dream was stupid? That my life was useless? Or should I thank you for reminding me every day that my ears are too big for my head?"

I raised my eyebrows at the last one. "Your ears are very nicely proportioned," I told her while her mother was tanking up on air.

"Thank you," she said quietly over her shoulder, smiling slightly. She had a beautiful smile. And her green eyes…

"Your life _was _useless. You wanted to throw your life away and follow your gut instinct!" She sneered the last two words. "Let's see how well that goes!" Emma stood up in anger.

"It's going perfectly! I have a plan, Mother! I have a job and a place to stay and most importantly, I'm half an hour and several towns away from _you_!"

Her mother opened her mouth and closed it. _This can't be good_, I thought. _She's exactly like Grandma. _They both stood there, five feet apart, staring at each other. Finally, her mother turned around and left.

She slowly walked back to the counter. "You shouldn't have done that," I said, giving her pie.

"I _really _shouldn't have done that," she corrected, staring at the counter top.

"You'll regret it later when you realize you love your mom."

"She's not my mom, Will. She's just my mother."

"This'll be all over town. Everyone will know your name before you even meet them."

"Introductions are a hassle," she replied as she took a small bite of pie. "Victoria Bancroft sucks."

"Your mother doesn't suck. Your life does."

---

"You suck," I muttered, eating a huge piece of my apple pie.

"Who's insulting my baby brother?" a woman asked, sitting down next to me. She turned around and smiled at me. "Wiiiiilly! You found yourself a pretty girl to talk to! It's about time."

"This is Rory, my sister," Will introduced smiling. "This is Emma, my..."

"We've been friends for ages," I managed to say through the pie. "Eight years to be exact."

"Emma's crazy," Will said, smiling. "Remember that night a while ago when Mom called you up in the middle of the night and told you she found someone to replace you?"

"_You _replaced me?" Rory asked. "You did a pretty bad job of it. Lorelai Gilmore is still a hassle."

"I'm not crazy," I told Will suddenly. "I'm not crazy. I just make really bad first impressions."

"I see why Mom liked her," Rory said. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Talking to Dad, I think," Will replied. "How are Jess and Haley doing? Philly treating you alright?"

"Jess and Haley are doing fine. Haley had a cold for a little while and Jess went all protective father on us, but other than that, life's great. Oh! I got promoted to editor at the _Philadelphia Inquirer_ and..."

Will and Rory's voices drifted off as I got lost in my thoughts. Mother. Victoria Bancroft. The true bain of my existence. I had given up on trying to gain her acceptance long ago. Still, I couldn't help but hurt when she blew off my most important dream: to become a forensic anthropologist. I love it. I love working in the field, I love the excitement, the constant change. I love helping people and solving murders. But, Mother didn't understand.

I felt a pang of emotion when I remembered her saying, "You will not, _will not_ have a job so unacceptable! Working with dead people! What kind of daughter did I raise? You're going to forget about this senseless job and marry a respectable man! A man with money and social standing, neither of which you will have if you continue following this idiotic dream!"

Worst of all, I could still feel the "Go to hell!" I had screamed and the slamming of the door behind me reverberating in my head. In my heart.

* * *

**This story isn't unrealistic; the characters just have really great memories!**

** And on that note, Chapter Three will hopefully but will probably not be up soon. I'm going on vacation for a few days, and then I have school so this was a bonus to you. **

**Oh yeah... I know old Luke, Lorelai and Rory are horrible thoughts, but bear with me. I can't just insert some of the characters into Tuck Everlasting. Well, I could but I really, really don't want to.**


	3. Freefall

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the dusty, spring-loaded twin bed that I have claimed for the four days I am on vacation.

**Now I know that imagining an old Lorelai Gilmore is like imagining a stupid Hermione or a friendly blasted-end Skrewt, but just try. **

**Also, life is kind of hectic right now with midterms and the countless essays that are coming up, but I'll try to update as often as possible.**

**And another thing, thank you, **_**thank you **_**for those of you who have chosen to give my poorly misguided story a chance.**

**And for those of you who are wondering, Jess and Rory are married and have a daughter named Haley. Sorry to the Rory and Logan freaks. I don't even want to mention the Rory/Dean fanatics.  
**

**---  
Eon.**

_Freefall_

ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER…

"Perpendicular hairline fractures to the femur," I noted while examining the Jane Doe. "Katie, can I cancel on that lunch? This case is driving me crazy."

Katie Bell, best friend and particulates expert, lounged on a stool near the examining table. "No. No, no, no, no, no," she repeated adamantly. "You can't bail on a birthday lunch with your best friend. It's against the rules."

"Katie, I'm not going and that's final."

--- x ---

"So, what's good to eat here?" Katie asked, perusing a _Luke's Diner_ menu.

"Who knows?" I answered off-handedly, too busy giving Will a small smile.

"Emma, you eat here every day."

"That doesn't mean I've tried everything on the menu. I mean, can you imagine me eating a salad?"

---

"One point for me! She hates salads, too," Lorelai said, pointing to the piece of paper in Rory's hand.

"Fine. But I still have 'loves pro/con lists.'" Rory replied, jotting something down.

Lorelai and Rory leaned towards Emma's table and strained their ears. "I think she said 'I've never not had a pie-sass joy trend.'"

"Or maybe she said that she never not had a high class boyfriend."

"Nah, that can't be it," Lorelai said. "Well, I win that one, too."

"When did Luke become a... a..."

"A Digger Styles?"

"Yeah, I don't think flannel and backwards baseball caps are acceptable wear at cotillions and DAR functions."

"Well, I've had more than you."

"But, I still had one."

"Fine, whatever. Give it to both of us."

"Anything else?"

"I got one," Lorelai said suddenly. "We both were friends with burger boys who were secretly in love with us."

"Will?"

"Duh."

"Yeah. It's obvious."

"It's like me and Luke all over again."

"He'll probably take eight years to ask her out."

"Will has some of my blood in him. I say it'll take six years."

"It's a bet."

**---**

The door jingled. "It's little Davie!" Lorelai exclaimed. I turned around to see who Lorelai was making so much noise over.

"Lorelai, I'm twenty-seven years old. I'm not that little anymore," Davie Belleville said, turning red.

"Aw, Davie. Am I embarrassing you?"

"Goodbye Lorelai." Lorelai grinned shamelessly.

I quickly turned around in my seat as Davie walked past me.

"A coffee to go, please," he said quietly to Luke.

He turned around and saw me. My heart started beating a little faster. He was tall and easy on the eyes, with light auburn hair and soft brown eyes. I smiled and gave him a little wave. I might have met him in passing when his mother, Sookie St. James, was with Lorelai. But now, he was giving me an intense gaze that I was scared to break and even more scared to hold. As soon as Luke handed him the coffee, he walked over and shook my hand.

"You're Emma, right?" he asked, smiling. "I'm Dave."

"Hi Dave," I managed to choke out. He was still holding my hand. _What's wrong with you, Emma, _I chastised myself. _It's just a guy. You've talked to guys before, remember? You're _really _good at talking to guys, remember? _

"I think we've met before. Maybe at some Dragonfly party my mom and Lorelai threw?"

"Who knows?" I asked, trying to get oxygen to my brain. Suddenly, Will came to our table, holding a few plates precariously in his arms.

"Listen, Emma. I'd really like to get to know you some more," Dave started. Not in front of Will. I don't want to be asked out in front of Will.

_Why not? You don't mind being asked out in front of Katie._

It's different with Will. He's been my best friend since the first day I moved to Stars Hollow.

_And Katie's been your best friend since the first day you started working at the lab. Face it. You love Will._

No. NO. That's not true. Will's a friend. Will's an amazing friend that I can't lose.

"Do you think you would like to come to dinner with me this Friday?" Dave asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I hesitated. "Sure," I finally said. All of a sudden, Will dropped the plate he was holding and I got showered with Katie's Caesar Salad. Will was muttering apologies and cleaned up the table.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Will asked, looking me up and down in concern, searching for cuts.

"I'm okay," I replied, smiling at his concern.

"I'll pick you up at seven," Dave said before leaving.

"Yeah," I said, distracted. "Seven's okay."

Will was crouched on the floor, staring at the mess and cleaning with urgency. _A friend, _I thought. _My best friend. _

--- x ---

"Are you crazy? Are you brainless?" Lorelai argued with her son.

"I didn't know you thought so highly of me, Mom," Will said dryly, rolling his eyes. His mom was crazy and brainless.

"Why did you just stand there and let Davie ask her out?"

"What do you think I should've done? Should I have punched Dave in the face before he could have asked her out?" Will asked sarcastically, starting to pace. "Profess my undying love—the one that I keep trying to tell everybody in this crazy town that I don't have—to Emma? What did you want me to do?"

For once, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore was silent. "Just don't wait as long as your father did, okay?"

Emma.

Emma. Emma. Emma. She's going to drive me off a cliff. _Maybe she will, _I thought. _But at least you know that she's going to be freefalling next to you, holding your hand and laughing like a maniac. _

Emma, Emma, Emma.

---

**T-t-t-t-t-t-that's all, Folks!**

**So, the house we're staying in has internet connection. You guys got lucky. Or maybe you didn't. Either way, here's another chapter. **

**I've got the next couple chapters planned and you guys should expect some drama!**

**Review please. All I need is a few minutes of your time to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or, if you really hate this story and you want relentlessly tease it, you could do it in a review! Of course, the chances that kind of review would make me feel warm and fuzzy is slim. Just please **_**review. **_


	4. The Whisperers

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a love for snowballs and their ability to hit annoying cousins in the face.

**Rightio. Chapter Four.**

** I'm determined to finish this story. But, I could use some inspiration in the form of reviews. *nudge nudge* **

**The chapter title is a song by the... The The. No joke. **

**

* * *

**

**Eon **

_The Whisperers_

It was another Stars Hollow day. I was sitting at the counter, surrounded by my friends, listening to another one of Lorelai's unbelievable stories.

"Back then, before I had little Willie to love, Rory was my life. So, when that hoodlum crashed her car and broke her wrist, I wanted to kill him."

"But you couldn't find him," Will added.

"Right," Lorelai agreed. "So, instead, I had a screaming match with Luke in the Town Square."

"She told me to go to hell," Luke recalled, smiling at the memory.

"I couldn't show my face in the diner for months," Lorelai added. "I almost died from coffee withdrawal. My coffee just paled in comparison. Only slightly, though. Don't get smug, Luke."

I laughed. Sometimes I couldn't believe how in love Luke and Lorelai were. _I want to find myself a Luke. _

"Will, can you serve Kirk Jr. and then close up?" Luke asked, wiping down the counter.

"Sure thing, Dad," he replied.

Luke and Lorelai left hand in hand, and Will, Kirk Jr. and I were the only ones left. Kirk Jr. spotted his mother through the window and quickly hurried out to meet her. Will began to put the chair up.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, looking at Will from across the diner.

"Can I ask _you _something?" he asked back.

"I hate people who answer questions with questions."

Will grinned. "I know."

"Well, can I?" I asked impatiently.

"Only if I can go first."

"Fine," I grumbled, stirring my hot chocolate.

"Don't you miss your parents? As far as I know, you haven't spoken to them since the blow up almost two years ago."

I stared at him. "Why do you care?"

"I'm your friend, Emma," Will said, suddenly irritated. "I want you to be happy. You have no family in your life and now that Dave's gone—"

"Let's not talk about that blasphemous cheater."

"Family's really important, Emma."

"I know you think family's important but that's only because your family is amazing and lovable. My family is as amazing and lovable as a rabid Rottweiler. Why do you care anyway?"

"I just don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone, Will. I have you," I said, smiling. Will and I locked eyes and I felt a shiver go through my spine. I quickly looked down and added hastily, "And Katie and Lorelai and Rory. I think even Luke is warming up to me."

"Luke adores you. He thinks I must have done something amazing in my past life to have a friend like you."

"Is he right?"

Will paused. "Yeah." He added quickly, "I don't have many friends, though. I think I got my dad's loner gene."

"Maybe," I said, smiling. "My turn?"

"Yup," Will said monosyllabically. Again.

"Why do you run the diner?" I asked. "You're really smart. Why didn't you go to college?"

Will stopped mopping the floor and turned to me. "How is that any of your business?" he asked, red in the face and angry as hell. Uh oh.

"I was just wondering."

"Just stay out of it, okay?"

"Geez, Will. What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"It's private! You have no right to ask!"

"And my family situation is open for everyone to discuss? What makes you think you can give me guidance on my life and then not even open up a little bit?"

"I don't want to open up a little bit! I don't want to open up at all! The reason I dropped out of college is my business and no one else's!"

"Fine, Will, fine!" I yelled, standing up and grabbing my purse. "I was under the presumption that we were friends and that you could trust me, but clearly, I was mistaken!"

"Clearly!" he screamed, following me to the door.

As I was storming out the door, I couldn't help but notice similarities between the fight and Lorelai's story. "Go to hell!" I screamed at the top my lungs.

"I'll meet you down there!" he screamed back, slamming the door in my face.

--- x ---

"I'm sure you're over exaggerating it," Martha said, cooking her mother's magic risotto. Although Dave and I had resulted in a messy breakup, I became great friends with his younger sister, Martha.

"We told each other to go to hell. How could I be over exaggerating?"

"You've had big blowouts before. You and Will always fight."

"We fight about my sleeping patterns and my inability to eat anything healthy. Speaking of which, where am I gonna _eat_?" _Everything's messed up, _I thought. _I'll starve without Will. _

"You guys will make up. I think you guys are biologically programmed to fight and then apologize."

"Maybe. But, Will is just so—" I stopped talking when my phone rang. _Speak of the devil… _

"Yeah?" I asked, wondering why he was calling.

"I know we're fighting and all but I didn't know who else to call," Will said, sounding stifled.

My heart beat sped up. There was silence on the other line.

"Will?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

* * *

**Okay, I totally suck at cliffhangers and I'm not even sure if that made you curious or if you even realized it was supposed to be a cliffhanger.**

**And... I'd like your opinion on something: Should I cut down on the dialogue or is it a good amount? **

**Review! Please! **

**And even if you don't, thanks for reading and managing to reach the bottom. **


	5. Apocalypse

Disclaimer: I own nothing but these (what I hope to be) witty and strange disclaimers.

**Okay, okay. I think this is a great chapter. I really outdid myself. **

**And, some people might be wondering about ages so…**

_Emmaline Bancroft: _26

_William Danes: 26_

_Lorelai Danes: 64 _

_Luke Danes: 67_

_Rory & Jess: 48_

_Haley: 19_

_Victoria Bancroft: 50_

_Sebastian Bancroft: 52_

_Emily Gilmore: 87_

_Richard Gilmore: 88_

**These are all approximates and these are the ages the characters are in this chapter.**

**

* * *

**

**Eon**

_Apocalypse _

_"I know we're fighting and all but I didn't know who else to call," Will said, sounding stifled. _

_ My heart beat sped up. There was silence on the other line. _

_ "Will?" I asked. "Are you okay?"_

Still, Will didn't say anything. I held my breath, waiting for a sound, waiting for anything_. _

Finally, Will spoke up. "I'm at the hospital in Hartford." My heart stopped.

"Oh my god," I managed to choke out. "Will…" I was at a loss to say, something which never, _ever _happened.

"It's not what you think. I'm okay but my grandmother…" His voice drifted off and he took a rattling breath. "Could you please come here? I could really use a friend."

"I'll break every speeding law to get there," I assured him. I hung up and grabbed my keys in a frenzy. I muttered out a broken excuse to Martha and was out of the house in thirty seconds flat. A new record.

--- x ---

"Will!" I exclaimed, finally catching a glimpse of his distinctly curly hair, hidden under a very Luke-like baseball cap. I hurried over and hugged Will before he could argue about the uselessness of hugs. I was surprised when I felt his hands slid up by back and his head fall and lightly touch my hair.

"Thanks for coming," he murmured into my hair.

"You know I would," I replied as he pulled away and discreetly wiped his eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed, giving me a smile that only lasted a second before it melted back into a sad grimace. "My grandma…my gra—she passed away, uh, a couple hours ago."

"Oh, Will," I whispered. "I know you don't like it when people apologize when it's not their fault but I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. She died in her sleep so she went peacefully, I guess," he said, sitting down on a chair and leaning his head against the wall. "I'm just really sad. She was really horrible to my mom sometimes but I knew they loved each other. And she really loved me and Rory. I just can't believe that she's gone for good."

"It'll be alright, Will," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"You know, my grandpa told me once that my grandma demanded to die first? She got her wish." He laughed nervously and I gave his arm a little squeeze. "I miss her," he whispered, staring at the ceiling.

I looked up at Will's face. "I was so terrified," I began, determined to make him understand. "When you called me, I was terrified. And then you told me you were in the hospital and I almost had a heart attack. I didn't know how much you meant to me until I thought you were hurt. You—" I broke off, trying to collect my thoughts. "You're one of the most important people in my life and I never want that to change."

"Same here," Will said. We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Will spoke up again. "I went to Brown University for two years. I wanted to be an architect. But, my dad got cancer and I had to drop out and help out around the diner. Dad didn't want me to drop out. He didn't want me to throw away my dream for him. But, my mom was so scared about losing him. She's so in love with him. I couldn't leave her alone and let her deal with all of that by herself. So, I came home and ran the diner while my dad was getting treated and my mom was by his side. He's better now and the tumor's gone but he's not as strong as he used to be. I decided to stick around and help my family. That's why I never went to college and that's why I work at the diner."

I didn't hesitate. "It hurts so much. It hurts so much to be away from my parents and I don't know why. They never paid any attention to me when I was growing up. I never understood why I needed their approval on _everything. _I never understood why I loved them so much and why they didn't seem to love me at all. It's just easier to stay away, Will, because if I go back, then I'll hurt again."

Will held my hand and looked at me. I lifted my head from his shoulder and looked into his bright blue eyes. "I can you be your family, Emma," he said softly.

I smiled despite the crappy circumstances. "I know."

He leaned in and my breath stopped short. _Is he going to kiss me? _I wondered. _Do I want him to? _ Suddenly, Lorelai and Luke came around the corner and we quickly moved away from each other.

Lorelai had tears streaming down her face and Luke was holding her hand. I could hear him repeat "It'll be okay" over and over again into her ear. Will got up and hugged his mom. I looked down at the floor so I wouldn't intrude in the family moment. Still, I couldn't help but hear Lorelai say, "I got to tell her that I loved her before she went." A few tears escaped from my eyes, not for Emily, whom I had never met, but for my scattered family that I felt could never love each other.


	6. Surreal or So Real

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mountain of homework that still needs to be done.

**Sorry the previous chapter was so short but here's a longer one. And sorry there wasn't an ounce of wit in that sentence.**

**And another thing. I wanted to assure my readers that there is no way on this slowly deteriorating Earth that I'm going to kill of Luke. Or Lorelai. Or Rory, etc. I don't think anyone else is going to die. I might just have to kill Richard if he gets too old. Will can't have a 102 year old grandfather. **

**

* * *

**

**Eon**

_Surreal or So Real_

_Will held my hand and looked at me. I lifted my head from his shoulder and looked into his bright blue eyes. "I can you be your family, Emma," he said softly._

_I smiled despite the crappy circumstances. "I know."_

_He leaned in and my breath stopped short. Suddenly, he stopped a few inches from my face and quietly breathed out, "I love you." He slowly closed the gap between our lips and we were just about to touch…_

"Rory's flying in from Philadelphia as soon as she can," I heard Lorelai say. "Jess and Haley are coming, too. She's going to help me with the funeral."

"What about Grandpa?" Will asked.

"Oh, Honey. Grandpa is in a worse state than when Trix died. I don't expect him to do anything except mourn."

My eyes slowly opened and I blinked groggily. _It was a dream, _I thought. _A dream… _I was still in the plastic chair in the waiting area. Will was next to me and when he noticed I was awake, he said, "Hey, you're awake. You've been sleeping for a couple hours. What were you dreaming about?"

"What?" I asked startled.

"You had a goofy smile on your face. You must have had a nice dream."

I shrugged and hoped my face wasn't as red as I thought it was. "It wasn't bad."

---x---

A big man was walking towards me and Will.

"William," he said, his voice wavering.

"Grandpa," Will said and quickly stood up. "How're you doing?"

"I've been better," he said, not even smiling. "Now, I just wanted to let you know that I want the whole family to have dinner together this Friday. I want us to say goodbye to Emily. I'd like you to be there."

"You don't even have to ask."

"Would your friend like to come?" Will looked at me expectantly. I hesitated. If I said yes, I would have to go back to the life I gave up. If I said no, I'd disappoint Will.

"I'd love to, Mr. Gilmore," I said, shaking his hand.

"Thank you," he said before wandering away to talk to Lorelai.

Will looked thankful. "I really appreciate this."

"You owe me. I've heard your mother talk about Friday Night Dinners."

---x---

I was driving when I saw the sign that read, "Welcome to Hartford" and I couldn't help but think, _I'm baaaaack. _I pulled up to a house that reminded me of the worst eighteen years of my life. At least my mother won't be in that house, ready to tell me what a disappointment I am. I stared up at the house one more time before I rang the doorbell. _How is it that all these houses look exactly the same, from the grand windows and balconies to the slightly pornographic fountain in the driveway? _I thought as a foreign-looking maid answered the door. _Right down to the clueless European maid. _

"`Ello please," she said in broken English. "Jacket please?"

"Thank you," I murmured. I walked into the parlor and I couldn't help but think how much I didn't want to be here.

Will must have read my face because he shot me a sympathetic glance and squeezed my hand when I sat down next to him.

"You look nice," he whispered into my ear. His breath tickled my ear and shivers shot through my spine. _We're just friends_, I thought weakly.

"I hope you don't mind,'" Mr. Gilmore said. _Uh oh_, I thought. "I invited a couple of Emily's friends to have dinner with us."

"Where are they?" Lorelai asked, sipping her martini.

"They'll be here any minute."

The doorbell rang and I held my breath. _Please, God. Please, no. Please, please let it be anyone but—_

"Richard. It's nice to see you," Victoria Bancroft drawled.

"Indeed," Sebastian Bancroft said monotonously.

I gulped. I was dead. I was _so _dead. I was staring at the floral pattern on the carpet and yet I could feel my parents' gazes boring a hole through my head. Trying not to hyperventilate, I stood up and looked at the intricate necklace that was somehow not bringing my mother's neck down to the floor.

"Hi Mom. Dad," I said, breathing deeply, trying to fill my lungs with air. _Don't make eye contact, _I thought. _Don't make eye contact and you'll survive._

"Emmaline," my mother said stiffly.

I looked up in surprise. How could she sound so… formal? I caught her eye. _Oops. _I couldn't think of anything to say and I couldn't break eye contact with my mother so I hastily sat down and stared at the opposite wall. _I need a hurricane. _ _I need some natural disaster to get me out of _this _disaster. _

"I was not aware that this was your daughter, Sebastian," Richard said, surprised.

"She's no daughter of ours, Richard," the infamous Victoria Bancroft butt in. "She's a disgrace."

I clenched my fists. _Stay calm. Stay calm. _"We had a… falling out," I said, trying not to be rude.

"We had nothing of the sort. You did something stupid, you were too stubborn to admit it and then you left." Richard shifted in his seat uncomfortably, probably wondering what he had caused.

_Stay calm. Stay ca… _"You're_ insane_!" I exclaimed. "Completely bonkers!"

"Emmali—" _she _started.

"And don't call me Emmaline! You're the only one who doesn't know that I hate it, I _hate _it! Emma, just Emma! Even Dad knows I hate it and he's completely oblivious to everything. And do you know why you're the only one who doesn't know the first thing about me?" I never gave her a chance to answer. "Because you've never bothered to learn the first thing about me!"

"Oh, you think I don't know you at all! I'm your mother! I know more about you than anyone else!"

I laughed mirthlessly before I could stop myself. "You don't know me! To you, I'm Emmaline Jane Bancroft, disappointment as a daughter since Day 1. To you, I'm clumsy, perpetually late, and a pain in the ass! I'm not graceful enough, I'm not gracious enough, and I'm not obedient enough. I'm just not enough, Mother."

"Emmaline!" my mother berated.

"Enough, Mother! You don't understand. You _never _understand! Will knows more about me than you do and I've known him for a little over a year! You've known me for twenty-six years and you still don't know that my favorite color is red, I hate apples and I can't drink coffee because when I was in the fifth grade, Richie Grey spilled it all over me!"

She was silent and was staring at me with an undecipherable look in her eyes. "You're no daughter of ours," she repeated before turning and leaving the room.

I stood in silence as the faint sound of a door clicking shut was heard. Tears were streaming down my face as the roar of a car faded away.

* * *

**So... what'd ya think? Huh, huh? Review please!**

**Which brings me to another point. I want to thank everyone who's reading and reviewing this story. It means so much to me that you guys are reading and surprisingly enjoying this. **


	7. What A Wonderful World

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the right to continue this story despite the consequence of the loss of my readers' sanities.

**Sorry for the slow update. It's slow for me anyway. School started and I haven't had a moment to breath. I know, I know. I have an amazing lung capacity.**

**But, I'm making it up to you. Here's a slightly longer story which, in my opinion, is really great. Lots of Emma/Will fluff.**

**And I'd like your input on whether or not I'm borrowing too much from ****Gilmore Girls****. I don't want Emma to end up too much like Lorelai and Will like Luke. I want them to have their own personalities and quirks. I **_**also **_**don't want to borrow too much for the plot. So, what do you think? Too much ****Gilmore Girls**** or just enough? I think I use enough but if you think I should use more then, by all means, tell me. And by all means, I mean press the little review button.**

**Revel in this chapter because you won't get one until I have time to write one. Yeah, yeah. I know. A good author would have written their chapters in advance. Well, I suck at planning and I'm not that great of an author, so you guys'll just have to either wait or give up on this story and find something else to read. Please don't choose the latter. **

**I'm trying to fit in all my thoughts up here because I don't want to ruin the effect of the ending by putting ugly author notes down there. Now, those of you who like to skip to the end of books to read the last line, don't scroll down. I want you to have to full effect.**

**_Another _thing. (I know you guys want me to shut up. This is the last thing. Electronic pinky promise.) I really want to develop Emma and show you what she's like, so if you seem to be understanding/falling in love with one of _my_ characters, and/or you're planning on reviewing, please mention it.**

**

* * *

**

**Eon.**

_What A Wonderful World_

I stood there, trying to get air into my lungs. I was dumbfounded. No, that was _way _too much of an understatement. I was… I… I couldn't even think. My previously large vocabulary shrunk down to the words "dream" and "unbelievable." Suddenly, I remembered that the lovely exchange of words had not occurred privately, but in front of a complete stranger and the complete stranger's daughter and grandson.

I wiped my tears away and turned around to face them. "I-I'm sorry but I should go," I choked out.

"Of course," Mr. Gilmore said. "I hope to meet you again under… better circumstances."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Gilmore," I said, before hurrying out the door. The imposing door closed behind me and I leaned against it, taking in a deep breath of night air.

No matter how far away I got myself away from Victoria Bancroft, she always managed to have a hold on me. And I hated when reminders of that showed up and threw themselves in my face.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gilmore," I mimicked to myself. "God, when will your Hartford manners get away from me?"

I remembered all those luncheons and social gatherings where the only way I could escape was if those words passed my lips. I distinctly remembered muttering "and leave you" after every goodbye. I hated, _hated _to admit that no matter how much I wanted to cut the strings that still tied me to my mother, I couldn't because whether I liked it or not, she was a part of me. Suddenly, the silly image of the Fates trying to cut Hercules golden string popped up into my mind. _Maybe my mother is a god, _I mused. _That would explain how she seems to show up every time I don't want her to._ But, the worst part was that although she was an apparent and unfortunately irrevocable part of me, I was obviously wasn't a part of her. Aren't daughters supposed to be a mother's world? I had been replaced with hosting perfect DAR functions.

_Stop thinking about it, _I thought. _Stop thinking about it and hope that the pain will subside if you do._

I hurried to my car and plopped down into the driver's seat. _Ladies don't plop, Emmaline, _I thought. I sighed and stuck my key into the ignition of the beautiful '65 Mustang Coupe that I saved pennies to buy. The car shuddered and groaned, finally stopping as smoke escaped from the front of the car. "Crap, crap, CRAP!" I screamed, hitting the steering wheel. I then proceeded to hold my breath and stare at the door to make sure it didn't open and I wasn't yelled at for lawlessly screaming on the street.

"Having a little trouble?" I heard Will's muffled voice say from the window. I jumped and looked to my left.

"Give me a heart attack, will you?" I exclaimed, rolling down the window. "What do you want?" I asked, excessively gruff.

"Geez, Emma. I don't want to make your night worse. I just wanted to see if you were okay."

I felt sudden remorse for treating Will like said curse. _Great, as if the list of horrible of emotions I'm currently feeling isn't long enough, _I thought. _Now I feel super guilty. _"I'm sorry, Will. I didn't mean to," I said, leaning my head back against the seat in defeat. "I'm just… in a bad mood," I finished off lamely.

He snorted and quickly rounded the car to sit next to me. "Really? Why?" he asked sarcastically.

"_Because…"_ I said, turning and giving him a small smile. He grinned; I knew he could feel a rant coming on. "…my mother's a cow, my father is a puppet and can't stand up for someone else or himself even if he _did _have the ability to think independently, my baby of a Mustang died, and I'm stranded in Hartford with a wet face and an airport claim full of emotional baggage."

"Huh," he said, scratching his head. "My grandpa's planning on serving my grandma's favorite European dish for dinner. It looks like entrails—probably is—so I'm feeling particularly bad for all the stomachs in that house."

I laughed out loud. "How'd you do that?" I asked when my giggles subsided.

"Do what?" Will asked, a grin plastered to his face.

"I wasn't planning on laughing for a couple months! I was going to act sullen and forlorn for a month or so until someone told me to snap out of it and get on with my life."

"Snap out of it! Get on with your life!" Will yelled.

"Then, they'd calm down and tell me that my mother is just a person and I'm just a person. They would say that life is life and that I can't miss it because one person doesn't accept me."

"Emma," Will said, taking my hand and putting a phony sincere look on his face. "Your mom's just a person, you're just a person. You can't stop living your life because _one _person doesn't accept you."

I laughed. "Then I'd say 'But, she's not just a person. She's my mother.'"

"I know she's important to you," Will said, wiping the phony from his face and leaving the sincere. "And I know you don't _want _her to be important to you. But, she's your mom and she has a special place with you that you can't get rid of even if you wanted to."

"That's true," I whispered, looking at Will's hand in mine. "But I'm such a disappointment to her."

"You're a scientist. You like logic, right? Think about this: you love your mother no matter how many times she disappoints you. What makes you think she doesn't love you because you've disappointed her?"

"Come on, Will. You were there. She told me that I wasn't her daughter."

"She was lying," Will said knowingly.

"How do you know?" I asked, frowning. "When did you become all knowing?"

"Just yesterday, actually," Will replied, the goofy smile reappearing on his face. "Come on. I'll drive you home and I'll tell Grandpa to send your baby to the shop."

"Thanks, Will," I said, trying to make him understand that I wasn't just grateful for the ride home. "I know you ruined your 'surly loner' look for me."

He smiled. "You're worth it."

---x---

Will and I were fifteen minutes away from Stars Hollow and we had slipped into a sweet silence. Suddenly, Will started humming. _Will's humming? _I thought. _What universe am I in? _Suddenly, he started singing and my jaw dropped. _You're breaking so many rules here, Will, _I thought.

"I see trees of green," Will sang quietly, keeping his eyes on the road. "Red roses too. I see 'em bloom… for me and you."

I smiled. "And I think to myself," I sang. "What a wonderful woooorld," we warbled together.

We sang together, the words punctuated by hysterical laughs and giggles. "I see skies of blue… clouds of white. Bright blessed days… dark sacred nights! And I think to myself, what a wonderful world!"

Will pulled up to my house and we stopped singing, a little out of breath from laughing so much. I smiled. "Thanks again," I said, not moving from the seat.

"You don't have to thank me. It's in the job description as best friend." I smiled.

"Still—" I began again. My sentence was cut short when Will leaned over and softly kissed me the cheek.

"You'll be okay," he said, leaning against the car door to look at me. "You're the strongest person I know."

"And you're the strongest person _I _know."

"Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank—"

"Seriously," Will cut in before I could thank him again. "Shut up and go to sleep."

I laughed. "Bye, Will."

He smiled back and I could feel him staring at me as I walked to my front door. As soon as the door closed, I slid down to the floor.

God, I was so in love.

_ I'm so screwed, _I thought as I made my way to bed and as drifted off to sleep. _I am_ so_ screwed. I am so in love with Will, and I am so screwed._

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do

They're really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow

They'll learn much more than I'll never know

And I think to myself what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.


	8. Fallen Heaven

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a refueled hatred towards the last two seasons of _Gilmore Girls_.

**So… I'm wondering if people are still reading this or if it's becoming more and more boring by the chapter. If my author notes are more interesting than the chapter itself, I would appreciate it if you informed me, because that would be a problem of sorts. **

**The past week has been pretty rough so for those of you who actually wanted me to update, sorry for not… doing it.**

**Eon.**

_Falling Heaven _

THREE MONTHS LATER…

"I'm dying," I insisted.

"You're _not _dying," Martha said, exasperated.

"You're right. I'm already dead," I said with finality. The relieved look that had crossed Martha's face quickly disappeared.

"You're not dying. You're not dead."

"No," I agreed. "It's much worse. I'm in _love_."

"There's nothing wrong with being in love."

"Love and I do not get along. In fact, Love avoids me. _That's _how much it doesn't like me. And then, when it finally does decide to rear its ugly head, it happens at the worst possible time and with the worst possible person."

"Will hardly counts as the worst possible person. It wouldn't be so bad if you were together. I mean, have you seen his as—"

"Martha!" I cut her off quickly. "It's not that it would be bad. It's that it would be good… so good that when our relationship ends up in pieces—like all my relationships inevitably do—I'll be so heartbroken that I won't be able to get out of bed for months."

"If you never take a chance, you'll end up wasting all your money on cat food."

"I can't take the chance of losing Will. He's _Will_, for goodness sake! It's the same Will that yells at me for ignoring the mounds of snow accumulating in my driveway, and then proceeds to clean it up for me so I don't slip and end up on my own examining table!"

"Aw!" Martha cooed. "He did that?"

"I love him as a _friend_," I insisted. The knowing look on Martha's smug face made me want to scream.

"A friend that you picture naked."

"I do not picture him naked," I said, feeling my face warm up. "Shut up," I added before walking out the door.

"Where are you going?" Martha asked, knowing exactly where I was going. "You're going to your future _looooove _shack, aren't you?"

_One, two, three… Deep breaths, DEEP breaths… four, five six… And if you can't control yourself, use the years of forced French lessons to your advantage._

"Ta Gueule!" I yelled out before I shut the door.

Martha chuckled from the stool in her kitchen. Emma had resorted to French curses. She had done well.

---x---

I burst through the door. "Williaaam!" I sang, grabbing my usual spot at the counter. "I'm going through pie withdrawal!"

"Keep your pants on!" I heard him shout from the apartment upstairs. My face reddened slightly. _God, I hope I won't blush every time he opens his mouth._

"William! Pie!" I hollered. I curiously picked up the menu. _Huh, _I thought. _It's different. Why are there different menus? Will _hates _change._

"Will you just wait?" Will shouted from upstairs.

"What the hell's going on?" I muttered. I quickly climbed up the stairs and knocked on the apartment door. "Oh, William!" I sang, looking for him.

"Emma! Shut up!" I heard Will yell, completely annoyed. I grinned. _Music to my ears…_

I tried the doorknob and it turned easily. _Ah ha! _I thought. _I have gained the element of surprise. _"Will!" I exclaimed as I burst through the door. "Can you just get me some…" my voice drifted off as I saw Will standing next to a girl. "…pie." A really pretty girl.

"Sorry, sorry," I said awkwardly, backing out of the room. _Oh my god, OH MY GOD. _

"Emma!" I heard Will call my name. "Emma, wait."

I didn't know what to think. What was going on? That woman's face was permanently lodged in my brain and was taunting me mercilessly.

"Emma!" Will said, grabbing my shoulder. "Geez, will you just stand still?"

---

She turned around and glared at me. _Uh oh… I was in trouble. _ "No, I will _not _stand still!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "I want to pace and get agitated and worry until my hair falls out!"

"Emma! That girl you saw—"

"What about her? Is she your girlfriend? Sorry! I never got the memo. She could be your wife for all I know!" Her eyes widened. "She's not your wife, is she?"

"No, she's not my wife. Emma, please just list—"

"You changed your menus! You hate changing anything and you changed your menus for her! You must have had those menus for ten years and suddenly they're all new and shiny!"

"Did you ever consider the fact that I changed them _because _they were nearly ten years old? Now, if you would just let me—"

"How could you not tell me? How could you not tell me? I want to know when you're planning on getting new menus. Will, I want to know when you get married!"

"For the last time, we are not married!"

"Who is she anyway? Why is it that you refuse to tell me? Is she a Russian spy, huh? Is that why you can't tell me? Are you a spy, too? Was the whole loner thing a cover? Are you really an assassin who sleeps with a different woman every day? Grumpy diner owner by day, super secret spy by ni—"

I grabbed her waist and pulled her towards me. I could hear my mother's voice in my head, screaming to me, trying to make me understand. _"Just don't wait as long as your father did, okay?"_

---

I have to be in heaven. Either that or this had to be some sort of semblance of it. A heaven on Earth… a heaven that had fallen for us. Because this was just too perfect. I couldn't be in the same place that I was forced to see at work: the hatred, the unhappiness. I was in heaven. I could feel Will's hand in mine. I could feel Will's lips on mine. I could feel his steady breath on my ear as he hugged me tight. And I could feel Heaven, brushing up our embracing bodies as the people on the streets cheered.

Because Will and Emma have finally seen the light.


	9. Istanbul, Not Constantinople

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the overwhelming urge to sleep.

**Yup.**

* * *

**Eon.**

_Istanbul, Not Constantinople_

Will reluctantly let me go. I stared at him, mortified, as reality snuck back in and I became overwhelmed with doubt and regret. _I'm so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, _I reprimanded myself. I stood there, in front of Will, trying to say something, anything. A frown soon replaced his previously smiling face as I looked at him silently.

"Emma—" he began, trying to rectify whatever had happened.

"What just happened?!" I exclaimed, my pent-up worries bursting out.

"Well, we kissed and now you're yelling at me. I'm very flattered, by the way," Will said, bemused.

"Will, we can't just go around kissing each other! You have a girl up in your apartment, waiting for you!"

"Who? Jessica?"

"I didn't need to know her name!" I yelled unreasonably. "I can't believe you did this! If you wanted me to shut up, you could've just told me to! Now you kissed me and I helped you cheat on… _her,_ and everything is ruined!"

"Emma!" Will said, trying to interject. Hopelessly, of course.

"You shouldn't have kissed me, Will! All you did was pull me into your drama! Now I can't have you in my life at all because youkissed me! Everything's ruined!"

"Emma!" Will exclaimed as Emma rushed down the street. "Emma! Wait!"

---

"Where the hell can a clumsy twenty-six year old with zero directional skills hide?" Will exclaimed, slamming the cup of coffee onto the counter.

"Calm down, Will," Martha said, eyeing him carefully. "Emma's fine. Emma's _always _fine. She just needs to cool down."

"She just ran off! I kissed her and she ran off! It's like I repulse her or something!"

"And apparently, so do you," Martha muttered. "You don't repulse her, Will. You do the complete opposite. Why do you think she's so upset? Geez, men," she finished with a sigh.

"She could have at least told me where she was going! She could have at least let me _explain_! But, no! She has to run off before I can tell her there's nothing going on between me and Jessica!"

"What?!" Martha exclaimed, suddenly looking up. "You're not dating her?"

"No!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go find Emma and tell her!"

Will groaned and kicked the wall on his way up to the apartment for some _solitary_ pacing.

---

The diner was closed but I could see Will pacing in the semi-lit room through the window. _Uh oh, _I thought. _Pacing is never a good sign, _especially _with Will. _

I cautiously opened the door. Will's head shot up towards the door and his eyes narrowed when he saw me. _I'm so screwed._

"You are so screwed," he said, walking up to me.

I gave him a dry smile. "I know."

"You just left. You didn't even give me a chance to explain."

"I know. I'm sorry. And, I will let you explain. Just let me go first one more time."

Will looked at me and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Just one more time."

"Will," I began. "I don't want you to think that I didn't like that kiss. Or that I didn't want it to happen. I _did_ but I don't think it was a good idea that it did. I think I just recently realized how important you really are to me. And I think you're worth waiting for. And I intend on waiting if I have to. I'll wait for you. I just—just don't want to get in the middle of you and your relationship with uh, Jessica, especially if it's heading somewhere."

"No, Emma…"

"Will," I interrupted. "I just want you to be happy. And, if you're happy with her, then I'll stay out of the picture. I'll stay out of your life if you want me to."

"Are you crazy? What makes you think I ever want you out of my life?"

"I don't know!" I tried to defend myself. "I was just trying to—"

"What were you trying to do? Were you trying to make me feel guilty?" he shouted, his pent-up emotions finally spilling over. "Or were you actually trying to help? Did you _actually _think for a second that I could be serious with —or even think about another woman—when you're right in front of me? You thought there was someone else in this insane world that could make me happier than you?" He breathed heavily as his last words hung in the air.

"I—I…" My voice drifted off as I thought about what he said. "Who is she, then?"

"She's a family friend. Jessica is my dad's old friend, Rachel's, daughter."

_Damn it. She's not family. _"Rachel? Like Luke's ex-girlfriend Rachel? What does Lorelai think about this?"

"Mom likes Jessica, mostly because she's only Rachel's daughter."

I laughed when I realized what he was trying to say. "And not Luke's."

He grinned. "Exactly."

"Your mother's quite a character," I said, shaking my head. I tried to control my laughing, and looked at Will. My gaze travelled to his shaking shoulders and down to his chest, moving up and down with every laugh. I reveled in the fact that despite the new changes that were obvious in our new relationship, we could still banter with the best of them.

Suddenly, it grew quiet and the room slipped into an uncomfortable silence.

"So… Jessica is staying with you?" I asked, forcing myself not to instinctively make her name sound spiteful.

"For a couple weeks, yeah. She's back from Istanbul and she desperately needs a place to stay."

I laughed nervously, trying to dispel the automatic jealousy that pushed down on my chest and made it impossible to breath. "Istanbul, not Constantinople," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Will's confused look made me add, "You know, the song by They Might Be Giants?"

"Why would I know a song by a band called 'They Might Be Giants'?"

I fidgeted nervously. "Well, technically the Four Lads recorded it first but—"

"Emma," Will interrupted. "I don't care."

"Right," I said awkwardly. Will smiled at my discomfort. "This is kind of weird."

He pulled me into a passionate kiss. When we broke apart, I panted, "That… I could… get used to."

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night, Emmaline Bancroft?" Will asked, laying his forehead on mine, holding me in his arms.

_God, I love how he says my name. _I put my hands gently on my shoulder. "Absolutely," I said. "But don't call me Emmaline."

He smiled and pulled me into another kiss. "I know you're jealous of Jessica but—"

"I am _not _jealous!" I quickly argued. "You're just full of yourself."

"Come on, Emma. I know you better than anyone. Me living with Jessica bothers you."

"Completely," I admitted. "You don't think you could stay with me, could you?"

"With Martha as your roommate? I don't think so. Besides, I don't want to rush into things. I don't want to ruin things as soon as we start."

"Neither do I."

"Just trust me. Nothing's going to happen between me and Jessica. We're just old friends."

"I trust you but that doesn't make me feel any better."

"Just two weeks."

"Fourteen days."

"Half a month."

"Don't give her a part of your closet," I warned.

"I won't," he said before he leaned in to kiss me. _Tomorrow night… Who says fickle dreams never come true?_

_

* * *

_

**Okaaay… so to clarify: Emma and Martha share a house. Nothing **_**dirty**_**, just roommates. Next chapter, Will and Emma go on their first date. Yes, don't like complete sentences.**

**Oh... an afterthought... I was thinking about writing spin-off-ish kind of story/stories once I finished up with this. It would show the Gilmore Girls characters we know and love after the seventh season but before ****_Eon_. Not as long as this one will probably be but will probably consist of lots of fluff and a little less drama. Or maybe just a few one-shots at different points in time or something. If you have any feedback (are you on drugs, I think it's a great idea, I'd rather have a story line and not just fluff, more than just one-shots, etc.) please include it in a review or just PM me. I'd really appreciate it. **


	10. It Should Have Been Emmaline

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the cluttered room and the stubbed toe.

**Review and I'll love you forever! Hypothetically… Maybe…

* * *

**

**Eon.**

_It Should Have Been Emmaline_

Emma stared at mirror, smoothing out her dress and running her hand through her hair… again.

"Will you stop?" I asked from my position on my bed. "This is getting _really _annoying. I've been here for the past two hours helping you pick the perfect outfit."

"Sorry Martha. I just hate Will for making me do this," she said, fingering a black ensemble that was draped over a chair. "Since when do I stand in front of a mirror for hours to make sure my date's jaw drops?"

"I don't know," I said, grabbing her shoulders and guiding her downstairs. "You're usually the girl who gets guys' jaws to drop by just walking towards them."

"This is all Will's fault."

"Stop blaming Will, Emma," I said, amused.

"I never did this with Dave. I didn't even do this with Alex!"

I gave a curious look. "Who's Alex?" _She's never mentioned an Alex._

A guilty look appeared on her face. "Just an old boyfriend."

"Uh huh," I said, crossing my arms and staring at her. _There was more to this than she was telling me. _

"Look, Martha. I'd rather not talk about it. He's a part of the old, prim Emmaline. He might as well be having drinks with my parents."

"Were you two serious?" I asked. I was dreading the answer. Emma was never serious about anyone, except maybe Will.

"Very serious," Emma said, biting her lip. "Which is why I promised myself I'd never mention him again. And now I'm openly talking about him with you. I'm breaking _so _many my rules here."

"Well, what happened to your long streak?"

"He's back in town and I'm worried about running into him. He was just on my mind."

"Well, don't keep him in mind while you're with Will. He has his father's jealous streak. Trust me. I grew up with him."

Emma blushed. "No one else is ever on my mind when I'm with Will," she said, truthfully. A little too truthfully. She quickly added, "Besides, I've been successfully avoiding Alex for the past three and a half years. I'm not going to break the pattern now."

"You know, I'm not going to be back until tomorrow afternoon. Kwan and I decided on a little impromptu trip to New York City for the weekend. You have the whole house to yourself if you want to bring someone back here," I said suggestively, wiggling my eyebrows.

Emma laughed. "Thanks Martha."

The doorbell rang and Emma eyes widened. "Emma?" I asked when she continued to sit on the couch.

"What do I do?" she asked frantically.

I almost laughed. Here was dripping-with-confidence Emma worrying about a date. "Answer the door first, I think."

"Okay, okay. And then what?"

I grinned. "Say hello."

---

I wiped by sweaty hands on my dress and opened the door. "H-hello," I stuttered, glancing over my shoulder to see Martha giving me a thumbs-up and an amused smile.

"Hi," Will said softly. "You look beautiful."

I exhaled and smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself."

---x---

We were laughing and walking up the driveway.

"That was a very successful first date, I think," he said when we reached the door.

"I'd have to agree," I said, smiling. "So… this is my door."

"Really?" Will said sarcastically.

"Hey! No sarcasm on this date!"

"You broke that rule about ten times already!"

"But I didn't mean to! It just sort of slips out!"

Will and I chuckled, which naturally escalated into me leaning on him as we were in hysterics.

"Bye Will," I said. A few giggles slipped out.

"Are you coming to the diner tomorrow?" he asked.

"How else will I get food?" I said, teasing him.

"Right," he said, smiling. "So you're only coming for the food?"

"Only for the food," I said.

He gave me a fleeting smile before he started walking towards his car.

_He's walking away, _I thought stupidly. "Will!" I said suddenly. "Would you like to come in?"

---

"This is the foyer," she said pointing. "That's the kitchen, I think. Only Martha goes in there."

"Because you don't cook?" I said, laughing and grabbing her hand.

"Because I'm not allowed in there. The first and last time I went in there, I lit the kitchen on fire."

I laughed. "Martha must have been livid."

"Completely," she agreed. Suddenly, she grew quiet. _That can't be a good sign. _"I love your laugh," she said quietly. She turned around and put her hand on my cheek. I stopped breathing and we shared a look that I thought only happened in movies.

_Make a move, you idiot. Do _something, _do anything. _"And up there?"

"Our bedrooms."

"Huh."

"Ah, Monosyllable Man is back. I thought we had made some progress with the whole talking thing tonight."

Suddenly, something came over me. _She's finally mine, _I thought, smiling.

---

"Will? You okay?" Emma asked. He had such a weird look on his face.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into a passionate kiss. "It took us too long," he said between kisses. He moved down to kiss my neck.

"Well, we're here now," I gasped.

"Can I see your bedroom?" he asked, giving me _that_ smile.

I laughed and kissed him again. He started guiding me towards the stairs. My back collided against the door frame and I ran my hand through his feathery hair.

"Emma, I—" Will was interrupted by the phone. I groaned. "Shouldn't you get that?'

"I knew there was a reason I had an answering machine."

Will laughed as he kissed me again. "So it can answer for you when you're making out with me?"

His hand brushed lightly against my slightly exposed stomach and I sighed. "Something like that," I muttered. I kissed him again and tentatively placed my hand on his chest.

---

I felt Emma's hand on my chest. _This is a dream, _I thought as I placed my hand on the small of her back. The answering machine beeped and a voice said, "Emma? It's Alex."

Emma broke away and turned towards the answering machine. Her eyes were wide and I saw her mouth, "Oh my god."

The voice continued. "I know you've been avoiding me but I want to talk to you. I know I surprised you when I proposed, but you didn't have to bolt to god knows where. You didn't even talk to me about it. You said 'Yes, I'll marry you' and then left without telling me!"

"Emma?" I asked, feeling the happiness and intensity that had been in the air fade away. "What's going on?" She turned to me and gave me a pleading look. I knew she was trying to ask me not to give up on her.

The voice wasn't done. "Emma, I just want you to give me another chance," he said softly. "I know I screwed up, and I want to make it up to you. You're the one, Emma. I love you and I know you love me. I know it... I really do. You know, technically, we're still engaged," that voice—_Alex—_joked.

That was it. I snapped. I headed for the door. I couldn't take this: the drama, the constant fear that I was going to lose her or that she'll find someone better and move along. I've seen her do it before.

"Will..." Emma pleaded. "Please. Let me explain."

My hand was on the doorknob now. "What's there to explain? Huh? This just proves that you're going to dump me, just like you dump everybody in your life! Give me one good reason for not leaving and never looking back. Everything I was afraid of is coming true! I mean, if you abandoned your fiancé, then why would you ever keep me around? Give me one good reason, Emma!"

Emma was quiet, wordless. Finally, she looked me in the eyes. "Will, I lo—"

_He _unknowinglyinterrupted once again. "It should have been you, Emma. It's always been you."

I forced myself not to look back as the door slammed shut behind me.


End file.
